We start with a departure by ‘First Class’ coach for our journey to the continent and an overnight stopover in France/Germany.
Day 2 – Monhne Dame and Weimar – we continue our journey to a further overnight stay in Germany. En route we see the famous ‘Dam Busters’ Monhne Dam and the historic city of Weimar.
Day 3 – Dresden via Colditz Castle. Continue our journey stopping en route to visit Colditz Castle. Situated on a rocky outcrop above the River Mulde this fortress is most famous for becoming a prisoner of war camp during WW11 for high profile allied officers. We learn more of its fascinating and notorious history on our guided tour and see some of the escape tunnels built by prisoners as well as the rooms where they were kept. Afterwards we continue to our hotel in Dresden where we stay for the next 3 nights.
Day 4 – Dresden. This lovely city – twinned with Coventry – is situated on the River Elbe. Many of the historic buildings have been re-built following extensive war damage. This includes the Swinger Palace, the Semper Opera House and more recently the beautiful domed Frauenkirche, (Church of Our Lady), bringing the city landscape back to its former glory. We enjoy some of the sights on our guided tour, followed by free time at leisure in the city.
Day 5 – day at leisure in Dresden.
Day 6 – Berlin via Potsdam. We leave Dresden and head to Berlin, stopping en route in Postdam. This charming city is best known for its magnificent palaces and parks that date back to its time as a former royal seat of Prussia. These include the stunning Sanssouci Palace, the great Summer Palace of Frederick the Great.
Later on we check into our hotel in Berlin, our base for the next 3 nights.
Day 7 – Berlin. Germany’s great capital city has undergone tremendous change. It is a city full of contrasts with a variety of historic and beautiful attractions. We enjoy a guided city tour which covers some of the most important sites including the Brandenburg Gate, a former symbol of the divided city. After our tour we have time and leisure in the city.
Day 8 – day at leisure in Berlin
Day 9 – travel to our overnight hotel in Germany.
Day 10 – continue to Calais for our journey home.